Horsehead catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

The horsehead catfish is a predatory, nocturnal catfish best kept on its own or with fish far too large to swallow. It is a bottom-dweller that hides by day and hunts at night, and it will eat any tankmate that fits in its mouth, so treat small fish and shrimp as food rather than company. Give it a sandy floor, dim lighting, and caves or driftwood to shelter under during the day, plus open bottom to prowl after dark. Feed meaty foods such as earthworms, prawn, mussel, and sinking pellets. A single adult needs a tank of around 400 liters or more.

In the wild

This catfish prowls the beds of creeks and rivers across the Amazon and the Guianas, sheltering under wood and in cover by day and moving out to hunt after dark. Recreate that with a sandy bottom, driftwood and rockwork for daytime hiding, and subdued lighting. Keep the water on the soft side of neutral and warm, from about 23 to 28 C, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Room to move at night matters as much as cover by day.

Good to know

Goeldiella eques is a three-barbeled catfish in the family Heptapteridae and reaches about 29 centimeters. It has a long, arched head that drives its common names, from horsehead to fox face. The species name eques is Latin for horseman or knight. It is a hardy, long-lived predator, and its breeding is not documented in aquaria.

Did you know

Its Latin name eques means horseman or knight, and the long, high-browed head has earned it common names on both sides of the barnyard, sold as both the horsehead and the fox face catfish.

Common questions

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